Somehow, we missed this story when it hit the Buffalo News a few days ago: A judge has rulled that Rev. Simon B. Howson, 42, the former rector of Batavia’s St. James Episcopal Church, can proceed with his lawsuit against the Diocese.
Howson claims that he was dismissed from his job after making a sexual harrassment claim against another priest.
Fleming on Friday said the job dispute involves attempts earlier this decade by an admitted homosexual Episcopalian priest now serving in Massachusetts, who used Howson as a spiritual adviser in Batavia, to have sex with Howson, who is heterosexual but unmarried.
Diocesan attorney Brendan P. Kelleher asked the judge to summarily dismiss Howson’s lawsuit on the claim that the dispute is a purely religious controversy to be handled only by church authorities. Fleming argued that Howson’s dispute involves the state Human Rights Law.
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Howson was suspended in October 2004 because of allegations about stealing church funds, forging church documents and misrepresenting himself. In August 2007, the Episcopal Diocese of Western New York announced that his priestly rights were revoked and he was removed from the priesthood. Thursday, Fleming stressed to Michalek that all the allegations the bishop lodged against Howson were “false” and called the bishop’s actions against Howson “crazy, outrageous and disingenuous.” Fleming told the judge he personally deposed the admittedly homosexual priest recently in Massachusetts and confirmed that priest’s “sexual harassment” of his client.
Howson, "now a hospital chaplain with limited religious duties in the Fresno, Calif., area," is seeking $300,000 in restitution and reinstatment as a priest.
